The 50 Best Movies of 2022

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor – January 4, 2023

Here is Metacritic's final list of the 50 best-reviewed movies of 2022, ranked by Metascore. This list only includes films receiving at least 7 reviews from professional critics.

All films released between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022 in at least one U.S. theater or directly to streaming or VOD/digital services were eligible for inclusion. Short films and reissues are excluded. Titles are ranked by Metascore (a weighted average of scores from top professional critics) prior to rounding based on scores as of January 1, 2023.

Additional content by Keith Kimbell.

22 of 25 photo by Focus Features

91 TÁR

(#2) The first film in 16 years from director Todd Field (In the Bedroom) is a timely #MeToo-adjacent drama (or is it?) starring Cate Blanchett as a successful classical music composer who is the first woman to serve as chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic but is suddenly confronted with a dark incident from her past that threatens to undo her successes. Named the best film of 2022 by the prestigious New York Film Critics Circle, TÁR features a tour-de-force, possibly career-best performance by Blanchett in a complex role; expect her to walk away with the Best Actress trophy in March, unless Everything Everywhere All at Once star Michelle Yeoh beats her to it.

Available to rent or buy at digital stores including Prime Video and Apple

“As masterful as the character it portrays, TÁR is a textured, finely calibrated, stunningly composed, and thoroughly contemporary study. Its chords reverberate long after the music fades.” —Marjorie Baumgarten, The Austin Chronicle

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